Wolverine by Claremont & MillerReview

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It made Wolverine who he is today, but does it stand the test of time?

By Jesse Schedeen

It seems almost impossible to imagine a time when 14329721/img_6638942.html" class='autolink'>Wolverine wasn't one of the dominant forces in the Marvel Universe. At present he enjoys three ongoing solo books to his name, as well as starring roles in many more team books. He's the reason countless readers got into comics back in the '90s. But it wasn't always so. Following his introduction to the Uncanny X-Men lineup in 1975, Wolverine remained a true x-factor. Readers knew next to nothing about his past, or at first even such basic details as the fact that his claws were part of his body and not attached to his gloves.

Wolverine lurked in the shadows for the first seven or eight years of his life in the comic book industry. It wasn't until 1982 that Uncanny scribe Chris Claremont finally sat down to explore Wolverine's back story in real depth. The result was a four-issue mini-series simply titled Wolverine. This humble little project was the start of what would prove to be an insanely successful shelf life for the ol' Canucklehead.

Whereas Wolverine was formerly a bruiser and a roughhouse, Wolverine Vol. 1 took a different tack. Together with his artist, a young man named Frank Miller, Claremont decided that Wolverine was, at heart, a ronin – a masterless, failed samurai who hid a deep-seated code of honor underneath all that rage. In this mini-series, Wolverine journeys to Japan to confront the woman he loves and the man that would keep them apart. It was a surprisingly unique look at an already popular character back then. But does that effect still carry over 25 years later?

Claremont's reputation with the X-Men is a funny thing. For decades he was the first and last word when it came to the franchise. He's widely regarded as the single writer who molded the characters into what they are today (with all deference to artists like John Byrne and Dave Cockrum, of course). But these days, whenever Claremont touches an X-book, the results are far less pretty. Claremont's writing style, though revolutionary in its time, comes across as horribly dated in the context of modern storytelling. Characters soliloquize at great length about their thoughts and feelings. Nary an issue goes by without multiple characters providing a long-winded thought balloon that explains the nature of their powers. As painful as this can be in a 21st Century comic, it doesn't exactly hold up well in Claremont's classic material either. Claremont opens just about every issue in this trade with some variation on the familiar line, "I'm Wolverine, and I'm the best there is at what I do." Cue chatter about unbreakable adamantium skeletons. Rinse and repeat.

And yet, it's important to remember that this was unique in 1982. Back then, no one had been granted the opportunity to expose themselves to Wolverine to the extent that these lines became grating and annoying. We've all probably read the "I'm the best there is" line in 100 different comics, but they were all paying homage to this one project. So it's not necessarily proper to knock Claremont for something other writers have taken and run with for too long. At the same time, there is really no excuse for the rampant overuse of dialogue and narration in this story. Particularly considering the pedigree of the man illustrating it. Frank Miller owns this story. Whereas Claremont's writing can't help but come across as stilted today, Miller's work holds up every bit as well as it did in 1982. Miller freed up the page from familiar panel structure. His work is dynamic - his choreography in each of Wolverine's many battles breathtaking. It's been a disappointment to me to watch Miller's style evolve over the years into something far more loose and surreal. Miller's artwork hit is peak in the '80s with books like Daredevil and Wolverine.

And at times Claremont does pipe down and allow his partner to tell the story. When the narration drops out of the equation and the book is nothing but bloody, moving imagery, it becomes almost poetic. At these times, it's easy to remember why this story made such an impression on readers. Claremont and Miller did many things right in these four issues. Claremont crafted an intriguing villain in Shingen Yashida. This crime lord is not only Wolverine's physical better, he possesses the rare ability to destroy the confidence that makes Logan such an unassailable opponent. As Wolverine is forced to pick himself out of the gutter and reclaim his honor, readers can sympathize with the man in a way they hadn't previously and rarely have since. Hackneyed narration aside, the core of this story remains relevant.

And the story isn't quite finished either. Wolverine Vol. 1 ended with a cliffhanger of sorts. His current foes defeated, Wolverine was prepared to settle down into wedded bliss with Lady Mariko. This story spun directly into the pages of Uncanny X-Men, where the team traveled to Japan to attend the wedding. As with any social function in superhero comics, the presence of new villains threatened to derail everything. In many ways these two issues comprise parts five and six of the story, and no reading is truly complete without them. Unfortunately, the absence of Miller means these final chapters immediately fall short of the mark. Paul Smith's great strength was in replicating the look and feel set forth by John Byrne. As a follow-up to Miller, his work proves disappointing by comparison. The issues revert to a more traditional page layout and lose much of the dynamism of Miller's issues. The climactic battle between Wolverine and Silver Samurai contain nowhere near the level of visceral impact as the Wolverine/Shingen fight.

Claremont's writing, at least carries over naturally enough. The same strengths and flaws remain. Claremont continued to use the story to explore Wolverine's samurai nature, though these issues don't offer quite the same level of insight. Unfortunately, the addition of the greater X-Men cast means numerous other plot threads intrude into Wolverine's story. Rogue arrives, fresh from her ordeal with Ms. Marvel and not enjoying the favor of her teammates. Likewise, Cyclops is struggling to deal with the emergence of Madelyne Pryor, a woman who looks all-too similar to the deceased Jean Grey. In some cases Claremont was able to integrate the other X-Men into the story nicely. Storm cultivates a friendship with the carefree Yukio in these pages, spawning a new look and attitude that would carry her through much of the '80s. Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler are also put to good use, perhaps even too sparingly. Unfortunately, the worst element of these issues comes at the very end, when Claremont resorts to a last-minute character appearance to cap off the story. Many readers will likely feel unsatisfied with the conclusion. The only recommendation I can offer is to keep reading Uncanny from this point on. Claremont was always one to tackle his plot threads bit by bit over a long period of time, making singular trades a somewhat incomplete experience.

For however dated and stilted the writing could be in these issues, they offer some of the greatest trials and tribulations the X-Men have ever faced. Whether you consider yourself a hardcore Wolverine fan or just enjoy a nice claw fight every now and again, your collection is incomplete without the mini-series that started it all.